Rautu Ka Raaz Movie Review: In Rautu Ka Raaz, directed by Anand Surapur (known for The Fakir of Venice), the sleepy town of Rautu Ki Beli is shaken by the death of a warden at Sevadhaam, a nearby school for the blind. The town, unaccustomed to major crimes, initially sees her demise as from natural causes, and the preliminary investigation by the local cops reflects this callousness. However, a post-mortem reveals the death to be suspicious, prompting the police, led by Deepak Negi (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), to perk up and do actual sleuthing. Their investigation leads to the discovery of shady dealings at the school. Rautu Ka Raaz OTT Release: Here’s When and Where to Watch Nawazuddin Siddiqui-Starrer Online!

I had low expectations going into the movie, which perhaps is why I found Rautu Ka Raaz to be a surprisingly decent murder mystery with an equally surprising 'killer' reveal. However, despite its arresting and suspenseful plotline, the film has numerous flaws, loopholes, and jarring errors that do distract from the mystery's resolution and the motives behind the crime.

'Rautu Ka Raaz' Movie Review - What Works

For starters, Nawazuddin Siddiqui is in better form here, after some unimpressive roles in recent films (trying to forget Saindhav and Heropanti 2). His caustic and dry dialogue delivery suits his character, but he shines in quieter, reflective moments. Rajesh Kumar provides fine support as Negi's portly deputy Dimri, who is quite subservient to his superior but also questions his obsession with the case.

The idyllic town setting, sunlit framing, and unhurried pacing create an interesting contrast to the grimness of the murder and the secrets it uncovers. The film handles the visually impaired children's characters with sensitivity, particularly the friendship between two kids, which becomes crucial to the investigation.

Watch the Trailer of Rautu Ka Raaz:

'Rautu Ka Raaz' Movie Review - What Doesn't Work

Every murder mystery includes red herrings, and Rautu Ka Raaz is no exception. The problem here lies in how these red herrings are handled. The screenplay raises suspicions on certain characters in convoluted ways, offering little to no justification later on. For instance, a character lies about another's whereabouts without any apparent reason, and another hams incessantly over assumed guilt, only to be cleared later. The raw performances of some secondary actors further highlight these issues.

A Still From Rautu Ka Raaz

What also didn't work for me is the movie trying to give its lead protagonist a tragic backstory and trying to use his current investigation as a means of therapeutic redemption. In the era of Benoit Blanc, it has become a cliche to have an investigator with a tragic backstory trying to solve a case that could help them ease their own pain (or exacerbate it). Especially when your movie doesn't need that. I, for one, am still clueless as to what exactly happened in Negi's past life that makes him connect with this case. Also, the sudden cuts to his past often hamper the flow.

The editing also works strangely in certain other scenes. Near the third act, when Dimri is translating a voice note to Negi while he is driving, the scene abruptly cuts to another scene of them at the school and that too, gets abruptly cut to another scene. We are later given a context as to why such a move was made, as to keep a certain twist for later, but there were less jarring choices to do so than what's done here. There are also two characters who indulge in local gossip and who are randomly brought in at various junctures, but their dialogues are repetitive, and their presence lacks the wit the movie thinks they should have had. Tiku Weds Sheru Movie Review: Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Avneet Kaur’s Queasy Chemistry Is Least of This Middling Romcom’s Problems.

Rautu Ka Raaz Movie Review - Mixed Bag of a Final Act

The final act of the film is a mixed bag, which, in a way, also kind of makes up my opinion of the whole movie. I liked that it doesn't go for a doomed ending, despite a subplot of the corrupt nexus between politicians and builders. There are a couple of surprises, but I was not utterly convinced by how Rautu Ka Raaz tries to pull them off in terms of writing.

A Still From Rautu Ka Raaz

When Negi gives a clan chit to a character who was acting shady the entire movie, I was pleasantly taken back. At first, that is. But when Negi tries to whitewash the character, it feels a little too much since the same character is not exactly a goody-goody person. Similarly, the 'killer' reveal also took me by surprise, but the manner in which the crime was committed felt a tad unbelievable and convenient per se.

PS: I get that Negi has a team that is inept at handling such crimes, but if Negi is brilliant, I wondered why he never went for a fingerprint examination of the murder scene, especially after the postmortem report. It could have saved some hours in closing down on the suspect.

'Rautu Ka Raaz' Movie Review  - Final Thoughts

Rautu Ka Raaz is a fairly engaging murder mystery. The screenplay expects you to take some major leaps of faith when it comes to the writing and the reveals. If you are willing to disregard those, the film is worth a one-time watch for genre enthusiasts. Rautu Ka Raaz is streaming on Zee5

Rating:2.0

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 28, 2024 09:48 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).